Phlox plant named ‘Ditostem’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Phlox  plant named ‘Ditostem’, characterized by its upright and mounding plant habit; freely branching and flowering habit; long flowering period; purple-colored flowers; and good garden performance.

Botanical designation: Phlox paniculata.

Cultivar denomination: ‘Ditostem’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Phlox,botanically known as Phlox paniculata and hereinafter referred to by thename ‘Ditostem’.

The new Phlox plant is a product of a planned breeding program conductedby the Inventor in Noordwijkerhout, The Netherlands. The objective ofthe breeding program is to create new compact Phlox cultivars withattractive leaf and flower coloration.

The new Phlox plant originated from an open-pollination inNoordwijkerhout, The Netherlands in July, 2004, of Phlox paniculata‘Uspech’, not patented, as the female, or seed parent with an unknownselection of Phlox paniculata, as the male, or pollen, parent. The newPhlox was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single floweringplant from within the progeny of the stated open-pollination in acontrolled outdoor nursery environment in Noordwijkerhout, TheNetherlands in July, 2005.

Asexual reproduction of the new Phlox plant by cuttings in a controlledgreenhouse environment in Noordwijkerhout, The Netherlands sinceJanuary, 2006, has shown that the unique features of this new Phloxplant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Phlox have not been observed under all possibleenvironmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat withvariations in environment and cultural practices such as temperature andlight intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘Ditostem’. These characteristics incombination distinguish ‘Ditostem’ as a new and distinct cultivar ofPhlox:

-   -   1. Upright and mounding plant habit.    -   2. Freely branching and flowering habit.    -   3. Long flowering period.    -   4. Purple-colored flowers.    -   5. Good garden performance.

Plants of the new Phlox differ from plants of the female parent,‘Uspech’, in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Phlox are more upright and sturdier than        plants of ‘Uspech’.    -   2. Plants of the new Phlox are more freely branching than plants        of ‘Uspech’.    -   3. Inflorescences of plants of the new Phlox are more uniform        and fuller than inflorescences of plants of ‘Uspech’.

Plants of the new Phlox can also be compared to plants of Phloxpaniculata ‘Junior Dream’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 16,059. Inside-by-side comparisons conducted in Noordwijkerhout, The Netherlands,plants of the new Phlox and ‘Junior Dream’ differed in the followingcharacteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Phlox were stronger and sturdier than        plants of ‘Junior Dream’.    -   2. Plants of the new Phlox were more freely branching than        plants of ‘Junior Dream’.    -   3. Inflorescences of plants of the new Phlox were more uniform        and fuller than inflorescences of plants of ‘Junior Dream’.    -   4. Flowers of plants of the new Phlox are darker in color than        flowers of plants of ‘Junior Dream’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearanceof the new Phlox, showing the colors as true as it is reasonablypossible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in thephotographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in thedetailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors ofthe new Phlox.

The photograph at the bottom of the sheet comprises a side perspectiveview of a typical flowering plant of ‘Ditostem’ grown in a container.

The photograph at the top of the sheet is a close-up view of typicalflowers and flower buds of ‘Ditostem’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and following observations, measurementsand values describe plants grown in Lancaster, Pa., under commercialpractice during the summer in 20-cm containers in a polyethylene-coveredgreenhouse with day temperatures ranging from 13° C. to 32° C. and nighttemperatures ranging from 13° C. to 30° C. Plants were pinched one timeand had been growing for 17 weeks when the photographs and descriptionwere taken. In the following description, color references are made toThe Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2001 Edition, except wheregeneral terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Phlox paniculata ‘Ditostem’.-   Parentage:    -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Phlox paniculata ‘Uspech’, not            patented.        -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Unknown selection of Phlox            paniculata, not patented.-   Propagation:    -   -   Type.—By cuttings.        -   Time to initiate roots.—About three weeks at 20° C.        -   Time to produce a rooted young plant.—About 25 days at 20°            C.        -   Root description.—Fibrous; grayed tan in color.        -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; moderately dense.-   Plant description:    -   -   Plant form/habit.—Upright and mounding plant habit; vigorous            growth habit. Freely branching habit with about five lateral            branches per plant; pinching enhances branching. Uniform and            full inflorescences.        -   Plant height.—About 47 cm.        -   Plant width (spread).—About 50 cm.        -   Lateral branches.—Length: About 45 cm. Diameter: About 8 mm.            Internode length: About 3.2 cm. Strength: Strong. Texture:            Smooth, glabrous. Color: Close to 146C; random flecking,            close to N186D.-   Foliage description:    -   -   Arrangement.—Opposite, simple; sessile, clasping.        -   Length.—About 14 cm.        -   Width.—About 3.6 cm.        -   Shape.—Narrowly elliptic.        -   Apex.—Acute.        -   Base.—Attenuate.        -   Margin.—Entire.        -   Texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Smooth, glabrous.        -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate, reticulate.        -   Color.—Developing and fully expanded leaves, upper surface:            Darker than 147A; venation, close to 147B. Developing and            fully expanded leaves, lower surface: Close to 147B;            venation, close to 147C.-   Flower description:    -   -   Flower type/habit.—Single rotate flowers arranged in            terminal compound cymes; flowers face mostly upright or            outwardly. Cymes rounded and hemispherical in shape. Freely            flowering habit with about 220 flowers developing per            inflorescence.        -   Fragrance.—None detected.        -   Natural flowering season.—Continuously flowering during July            in Pennsylvania.        -   Postproduction longevity.—Flowers last about five to seven            days on the plant; flowers not persistent.        -   Flower buds.—Height: About 2.5 cm. Diameter: About 7 mm.            Shape: Clavate. Color: Close to N88C to N88D.        -   Inflorescence height.—About 6 cm.        -   Inflorescence diameter.—About 7.9 cm.        -   Flower diameter.—About 3.3 cm.        -   Flower depth.—About 2.8 cm.        -   Throat diameter.—About 4 mm.        -   Tube length.—About 2.2 cm.        -   Tube diameter, base.—About 3 mm.        -   Petals.—Quantity per flower: Typically five in a single            whorl; petals fused at the base into a narrow tube. Length            from throat: About 1.5 cm. Lobe width: About 1.7 cm. Lobe            shape: Roughly spatulate. Apex: Rounded. Margin: Entire.            Texture, upper and lower surfaces and throat: Smooth,            glabrous. Texture, tube: Sparsely pubescent. Color:            Developing petals, upper surface: Close to N82D. Developing            petals, lower surface: Close to 84D. Fully expanded petals,            upper surface: Close to N81B; towards the base, close to            N78A; venation, close to N82B. With development, color            becoming closer to N81C to N81D. Fully expanded petals,            lower surface: Close to 85B; venation, close to 85B. Throat:            Close to 85B; venation, close to 85B. Tube: Close to 84A;            venation, close to 84A.        -   Sepals.—Quantity per flower: Typically five in a single            whorl, fused towards the base. Length: About 7 mm. Width:            About 1 mm. Shape: Lanceolate. Apex: Acuminate. Margin:            Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous.            Color, developing and fully expanded sepals, upper surface:            Close to 137C. Color, developing and fully expanded sepals,            lower surface: Close to 187A.        -   Peduncles.—Length: About 3 cm. Diameter: About 3.5 mm.            Strength: Strong. Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: Close to            146B with flecks, close to 187A.        -   Pedicels.—Length: About 7 mm. Diameter: About 1 mm.            Strength: Strong. Texture: Pubescent. Color: Close to 146D.        -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity per flower: Typically            five. Anther shape: Narrowly oblong. Anther length: About            2 mm. Anther color: Close to 155A. Pollen amount: Scarce.            Pollen color: Close to 155A. Pistils: Quantity per flower:            One. Pistil length: About 2.5 cm. Stigma shape:            Three-parted. Stigma color: Close to 157A. Style length:            About 2.2 cm. Style color: Close to 145B. Ovary color: Close            to 144A.        -   Seed/fruit.—Seed and fruit development have not been            observed.-   Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the Phlox have not been observed    to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Phlox.-   Garden performance: Plants of the new Phlox have been observed to    have good garden performance and tolerate rain, wind and    temperatures ranging from about 0° C. to about 35° C.

1. A new and distinct Phlox plant named ‘Ditostem’ as illustrated anddescribed.